MeatEater’s 12 Days of Gifts Guide: Day 10

Hunters can be a pain in the a** to shop for, because there’s an overabundance of gear on the market and also an overabundance of gear in most guys’ garages. Out of sympathy for anyone who has a hunter on their shopping list, I’m going to put together the MeatEater’s 12 Days of Gifts Guide. These items are gonna please any hunter out there, no matter how picky or overstocked he or she happens to be. What’s more, these things can be purchased quickly online without having to drive around and endure hordes of competing Christmas shoppers.

One of the most common questions I get is, “What multi-tool do you use?” I figured I’d answer that question here, because multi-tools make such great Christmas presents. No matter who you are, or what you do, you can almost surely use one on a daily or weekly basis. So, my pick? SOG Powerlock. Here’s why:

The saw is sharp as hell, good for clearing brush, cutting stakes, and sawing bone.

The pliers have a hinge mechanism that allows them to open to a much wider gape than conventional multi-tool pliers. This difference in gape size might not seem like a huge deal, but anyone who’s had to struggle with busted outboard engines, broken-down vehicles, and moving parts that are frozen together by rust or ice knows that success or failure on a hunting trip sometimes comes down to your ability to get a grip on things – large or small.

Bit attachments. SOG fits their multi-tool with a standard ¼” driver that you can match to virtually any type of bit (or socket, or drill) on the planet – whether you get it from SOG or your corner hardware store or some bucket of tools at a yard sale. This makes it easy to customize the bits in your kit so that you’re carrying only—and exactly—what you need to fit your particular gear or equipment. It might not be smart business for SOG to let consumers use the bits that they already own, but any lost revenue from that will be recuperated by the increased loyalty from consumers who are sure to appreciate the gesture.

You can disassemble the tool and replace broken blades on your own, without having to return the multi-tool to the manufacturer. It’s as simple as removing a few screws. This eliminates those “6 to 8 week” turnarounds when you inevitably snap a blade while trying to use it as a wrecking bar.